My main motivation in posting was to draw to everyone's attention that three of our medical advisers have collaborated in writing a published paper. That represents a closeness between TUK - representing patients and the authors which is at least towards unprecedented.
Using Body Mass Index to Predict Optimal Thyroid Dosing after Thyroidectomy
Abstract presented at the American College of Surgeons 98th Annual Clinical Congress, Chicago, IL, October 2012.
Kristin A. Ojomo, PA, David F. Schneider, MD, MS, Alexandra E. Reiher, MD, Ngan Lai, BA, Sarah Schaefer, NP, Herbert Chen, MD, FACS, Rebecca S. Sippel, MD, FACSemail address
Received 18 October 2012; received in revised form 4 December 2012; accepted 4 December 2012. published online 14 January 2013.
Abstract Full Text PDF Images References
Background
Current postoperative thyroid replacement dosing is weight based, with adjustments made after thyroid-stimulating hormone values. This method can lead to considerable delays in achieving euthyroidism and often fails to accurately dose over- and underweight patients. Our aim was to develop an accurate dosing method that uses patient body mass index (BMI) data.
Study Design
A retrospective review of a prospectively collected thyroid database was performed. We selected adult patients undergoing thyroidectomy, with benign pathology, who achieved euthyroidism on thyroid hormone supplementation. Body mass index and euthyroid dose were plotted and regression was used to fit curves to the data. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA 10.1 software (Stata Corp).
Results
One hundred twenty-two patients met inclusion criteria. At initial follow-up, only 39 patients were euthyroid (32%). Fifty-three percent of patients with BMI >30 kg/m2 were overdosed, and 46% of patients with BMI <25 kg/m2 were underdosed. The line of best fit demonstrated an overall quadratic relationship between BMI and euthyroid dose. A linear relationship best described the data up to a BMI of 50. Beyond that, the line approached 1.1 μg/kg. A regression equation was derived for calculating initial levothyroxine dose (μg/kg/d = −0.018 × BMI + 2.13 [F statistic = 52.7, root mean square error of 0.24]).
Conclusions
The current standard of weight-based thyroid replacement fails to appropriately dose underweight and overweight patients. Body mass index can be used to more accurately dose thyroid hormone using a simple formula.
Abbreviations and Acronyms: BMI, body mass index, LBM, lean body mass, LT4, levothyroxine, TSH, thyroid-stimulating hormone, WBD, weight-based dosing
Sorry Rod. I got no notification that you had responded. Yes, I see I posted a different study. Apologies for my mistake! I've been pretty poorly lately and seem to be making so many silly mistakes lately, which is extremely frustrating.
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Please could someone review this for me...
